Made Easy
by gigi2
Summary: There's no point in writing if you can't annoy someone. --- NaLey Friendly Story
1.

Title: **Made Easy**

Author: gigi2

Genre: Naley

Rating: PG-13 for now.

Etc: sorry it's short. It'll get _real good_ as we go :) I'm a recovering Trory but seeing as how CMM will never go back to Gilmore Girls, I'd like to see Nathan and Haley get together. On t.v., I think they're digging one another a little to quickly.

Etc 2: I fixed this up so it would be easier to read. Enjoy!

**Chapter 1 :::**

English class proved to be made easy once again for Haley James. If not the smartest in her graduating class, she was definitely one of them. She smiled smugly down at her Oscar Wilde research paper --- A+ with an exclamation mark. Although most of her peers found it difficult to form an argument or to dissect an author's subliminal messages in his writing, Haley thought otherwise. All it took was a little bit of reading in between the lines and from there on, everything would be a piece of cake. Haley took her research paper without an overview and slipped it into her folder.  

A few groans were let out by several students. As students ignored the teacher and asked one another 'what they got', two rows over to Haley's left sat Nathan Scott. There, he looked down not so smugly at a rather large 'F'. Normally, he wouldn't care to give it a second glance but this time around was different. This semester alone, 7 research papers would be done, which counted for 75% of his grade. He groaned, realizing his grade in the class would be taking a plunge into academic suicide, also threatening his eligibility to play in the game.

_Why did I listen to my counselor and let her talk me into taking AP English?_, Nathan thought to himself. Not that there wasn't much he could do about that now. The last paper he turned in was one of the 7. Dually noted, the third research paper and the third 'F'. Rattling himself out of his thoughts, the last period bell of the day had just rang. He was sure he heard the teacher telling the class to get started on their next research paper, as it would be due in another three weeks.

_Yeah, right._

Nathan slinged his backpack over his left shoulder and thrust himself into the throng of Tree Hill student body. A lot was going through his mind, in no particular order. _Peyton_ - she's always pissed. _Dan_ - not going to even get started. _Mom_ - she didn't even know who her own son was anymore. _Grades_ - refer to academic suicide. And of course, _Lucas_. The prodigal Golden Boy, who slowly started taking everything away from him. Nathan knew things weren't going to go his way any time soon.

"HEY! Watch where you're going!"

He was too engrossed in his thoughts to notice that he had just walked right into Haley. Without apology, he looked down at the girl (who was glaring right back at him), rolled his eyes, and walked around her and down the hall towards the gym.

_Jerk_, Haley thought. You know those times when you think about a great comeback and tell yourself you would say it? Well, Haley couldn't think of anything to blurt out except "What'd you get?"

Her rebuttal rang out in the hall. He cringed at her words; _What'd you get?_

"What?" he said, as he turned back to walk back to his previous accident location.

Haley bit down on her bottom lip and almost regretted saying anything. "I said, umm, what'd you get?"

"What are you talking about?" as Nathan tugged at his backpack straps.

"I just wanted to know what you got on your Oscar Wilde research paper." Haley asked softly.

As before, he looked down at her, except this time, she was biting her bottom lip and her eyes weren't seething at his own.

_My research paper_. Nathan had managed to put that fresh 'F' out of his mind for at least a good 15 minutes and this girl managed to bring it all back.

"I don't know you. And frankly, I don't care to know you. I don't discuss my grades or my business with people beneath me." Nathan hastily spat it all out. He saw her eyes glower and felt a bit of remorse for snapping at the girl but he didn't have time to "converse" with some brown-noser.

_Ouch, that must've stung Haley_. "You're right. I don't know you, Nathan." She looked down briefly at her worn out black Chucks, contemplating whether or not to apologize for asking, and glanced back up to see Nathan's retreating figure.

_Wow, another winner here_, Haley sighed. Composing herself, she walked down the opposite direction of Nathan towards the Tutoring Center. 

Nathan, already at the door of the gym, stood there and looked over his shoulder to see her once more. He was a bit taken off guard, because she knew his name and he didn't know hers. 

_Just let this day be over._


	2. 

Title: **Made Easy**

Author: gigi2

Genre: Naley

Rating: PG-13 for now.

Etc: No spoilers. No particular order of episodes. I own nothing but this story :)

**Chapter 2 :::**

_This class never ends_, Nathan thought to himself for the 7th time alone in English class. He briefly waved a hand through his spikes, hoping it would relieve him somehow.

It didn't.

There was a lot going on in his head, things he wasn't ready to discuss with anyone, including himself.  

He never took the time to actually look at the people around him in class, the people that didn't matter anyways. His eyes scanned over the rows when they finally landed on the back of a familiar body with a mass of red hair.

_Her._

If he had known her name, he would have for sure said it to himself but he didn't. Although he couldn't see her whole face, he catched on quickly to her habit of tucking her hair behind her ear. Every minute or so, the same strand of hair would fall over her face and she'd repeat the same gesture of brushing it aside.

Before he could make any more observations, the final bell of the day and the week had rang. The uproar of chairs scratching the linoleum floor made the kids smile, seeing as the weekend was here. Nathan pushed himself back from his desk and gripped the ledge before pushing himself up. He shruggishly shoved his folder and textbook into his backpack and made his way to the door, only prompting him to stop when he felt a hand on his shoulder.

"Mr. Scott? We need to talk." 

Mr. Grabaldi had a tendency to make you stop thinking when he focused all of his attention on you. He wasn't an offensive looking person but he definitely could offend you with the look of his eye.

"Yeah, I guess."

The teacher motioned for his pupil to make his way to the front desk, which was littered with vanilla folders and nubbed-down pencils. Mr. Grabaldi could notice Nathan's uncomfotable stance, as he was shifting his weight on either foot and casted his eyes downward. He motioned for the Young Scott to pull up a seat but refused. Taking a seat, Mr. Grabaldi let out a sigh and pulled himself forward into his desk. 

"That was a very impressive game you and the team put on last week. Coach Durham must be proud."

He looked up and a small smirk tickled Nathan's lips but decided to let it slip. "Thanks."

"But I'm not here to talk about your athletic abilities. If you studied as much as you gained the admiration of your fellow peers, your game would be matched up to speed. That last paper you submitted, just...it wasn't..."

"Yeah, it was a winner with just about everyone I do and don't know". Nathan bitterly let out.

Mr. Grabaldi took a brief moment to collect his thoughts and to finally reiterrate his point. Dead in the eye, he looked into Nathan's eyes and said, "You're failing my class, Nathan."

Nathan had never heard it out loud before. The way he said it --- it wasn't crude but it came out sounding shrill. Blunt. Coarse. Matter-of-factly. He was failing.

"I'm sorry." He didn't know what else to say.

"I don't want you to be sorry, I want you to pass. You're allowing yourself to fail without a legitimate excuse and it's unacceptable. Your progress report is coming out soon, and so are your games. Do not let your grades be a factor in your eligibility to play on the team."

Nathan slowly swallowed Mr. Grabaldi's verbatim. All of a sudden, it was getting harder to swallow any kind of information that didn't upset him. _Failing_. Not accomplishing the goal. Not making the basket.

*************************************************

_Dammit_. Haley chastised herself, as she was halfway out of the quad when she feverishly searched for her thick red spiral notebook and Roxy planner. Without the two, chaos was guranteed to be ensured. She wrote down everything, school-related or not in her notebook, and her Roxy planner was a gift from Lucas. She didn't have very many plans write in or attend to, seeing as she was some kind of social outcast at Tree Hill High. But a gift is a gift, and any gift from Lucas was simply irreplaceable.

She turned back and treaded her way through the quad and back to Mr. Grabaldi's class. Unconsicously, Haley tucked her hair behind her ear and gripped the straps of her backpack. There were still a few students lingering around, most likely getting ready for the game that night. She heard the squeals of laughter and hearty laughs of her peers one last time before she walked into the desolate hallway of lockers. Rounding the corner of her destination, she was relieved to see Mr. Grabaldi's door open wide. 

Haley looked up to the sky and silently let out a _Thank you!_ because her belongings were safe. Besides, who would want to jack a red notebook and a leopard-print Roxy planner? 

Smiling and without looking down, she walked right into classroom and into a desk's leg. _Great going James, you stubbed your toe into a desk in front of a teacher and the captain of the basketball team._ A small blush crept over her face and her smile faded a bit but she braved her eyes up to see a Mr. Grabaldi _and_ Nathan Scott. Both of the men looked at her with inquiry.

"Yeah, umm, hi Mr. Grabaldi." Her goofy expression turned into that of a deer-caught-in-the-headlights look. Nathan, amused, removed his recent scowl and turned it into his trademark smirk.

_How embarrassing_.

"Well hello! Did you need something Miss James?", as Mr. Grabaldi nudged his head slightly.

"Oh, no, I just forgot some stuff." Hayley smiled once more before turning her attention to her belongings, which sat atop her usual desk --- untouched and unscathed. Not to interrupt their private meeting, Hayley wound herself around the rows of desks until she reached hers.

Getting back to the matter at hand, Mr. Grabaldi spoke up. "SO, as I was saying Mr. Scott," not looking up from a pile of papers he was grading, "if you need help, please do not hesitate to ask for it because later on, it will be too late. Keep in mind that your next paper is due in 3 weeks."

"Yeah, I will. Can I go now?" Nathan was more than anxious to go. He didn't care that he was late to practice but he just needed to get out of there. 

"Was that a question or a demand Mr. Scott?" Mr. Grabaldi perched his eyebrows and put down his pen.

"Can I _please_ go now if there's nothing else to be said?" Nathan bit back, a little _too_ sweetly.

  
The older man looked up at Nathan and an idea was swarming in his head. "Actually, there's a way you can bring up your grade, and real quick, too."

Nathan looked confused but considered hearing the older man's revelation. "Ok, how?"

Mr Grabaldi looked over to see if Haley had left the class already but saw that she hadn't. Haley had been too busy making sure that everything in her notebook was neatly put away and untouched. He smiled to himself, "Miss James you're a lucky winner today!"


	3. 

Title: **Made Easy**

Author: gigi2

Genre: Naley

Rating: PG-13.

Etc: sorry if the story is slow for some of you. But that's how I _like_ it :)

**Chapter 3 :::**

"Miss James you're a lucky winner today!" Mr. Grabaldi exclaimed.

Haley looked up to see a smiling English teacher and a bewildered looking Nathan Scott. She knew something was up.

"I don't understand?"

The smug man clasped his hands together over the desk and looked between the two adolescents. "Miss James, you know Nathan Scott, right? Captain of the basketball team?" He said this to her as if she should've been aware.

She smirked and shaked her head. "Actually, no. I don't." responding casually. Of course she knew _of him, _she just didn't _know_ him. Picking up her notebook and planner, she sifted them into her backpack. "I'll see you next week Mr. Grabaldi. Have a nice weekend." Haley attempted to walk down the aisle of desks on her way out when she heard the clearing of a throat.

"Not so fast Miss James. Since you don't know Mr. Scott, don't you think it would be a great opportunity to get to know him now?"

"I'd decline it any day Mr. Grabaldi."

He frowned at her response and saw Nathan's winced look. "Miss James, you're being judgmental. I would expect differently from an exemplary student of mine."

"I'm not judgmental, just biased."

At that comment, the elder just had to let out a laugh. For a girl who didn't say much at all in class and produced meaningful papers, she was proving to be difficult. "Well that's a shame Miss James. You're rejecting the unfamiliar."

Nathan couldn't help but observe the quick with of the petite girl. She had sized him up, but not in height. Nonetheless, he was a bit annoyed and offended --- after all, some girl clearly insinuated he wasn't worth getting know.

"That's ok," Nathan spoke up, "it's not like I'd want to associate myself with people-…"

 "Beneath me." Haley finished off. "Right. Mr. Grabaldi, sorry. But I do have to go." She bit her lip and was on the ball of her hell when Mr. Grabaldi got up and put his hand on her shoulder to spin her around.

"Miss James, please sit down. This will be very quick and very brief. Mr. Scott, please do the same."

The girl and the boy took a seat in the front, with one desk separating each other.

"Miss James, this is Mr. Scott."

Haley stared straight ahead at the chalkboard while Nathan took a glance at her. So far so good.

"Miss James, please don't be difficult. I don't want to be sorry that I gave you a grade you deserved and then take it back." Haley turned to look up at Mr. Grabaldi and arched her eyebrows. "Now that I have your attention, I will say it again. Miss James, this is Mr. Scott."

"Ok." She gave a half-wave in the boy's direction.

"And Mr. Scott, this is Miss James." Nathan nodded his head in her direction. Mr. Grabaldi paced in front of his pupils and began to speak. "As you know, there's another research paper due in another 3 weeks. I expect no less effort on this than any of the other assigned papers. However, I'm going to make an exception for the two of you."

Haley's eyes nearly popped out at the word 'exception', while Nathan feared not only was this paper going to be difficult, but extremely difficult. They didn't expect to hear the following.

"You will not turn in a paper on Charles Dickens' selective oppression or submit an analogy of why you think some of Mark Twain's work was banned. _You_, my students, are going to be spending a lot of time together."

"But _why_?" Haley exclaimed. It came out as a whine but merely shrugged off by her English teacher. "I think I can speak for both of us –" looking nervously at Nathan, "when I say that it wouldn't work. I mean, he's got his basketball to think about."

Nathan looked down at the smeared surface of the plastic desk. There it was again. People assumed that all he thought about was basketball. "She's right. I do have to think about that."

It was clear he wasn't getting through to the stubborn crowd and he knew he had to turn into the teacher most students love to detest. 

"You're failing, Nathan.", he said sternly.

"Nice way to put me on blast, Mr. Grabaldi. We've gone over this already."

"Well you're going to hear it repeatedly until your ears bleed or until you show me some kind of progressive change in your grades. Frankly, you don't have a choice and it would be very unfortunate for you to pass this up. Now, Miss James-" turning his attention to her, "you are one of my brightest students. I'm not doing this to discredit your integrity or to undermine your generosity. I want you to help Mr. Scott because I think you can help him get his ball moving into the right direction."

Slumping back into his chair, Nathan looked over at Haley's unreadable expression.

Part of her didn't want to agree to this sudden proclamation but who was she to turn down help when she willingly offered it all the time? "What's the assignment Mr. Grabaldi?"

He smiled, seeing that he had somehow made her mind, if only briefly. "You mentioned earlier that you didn't know Mr. Scott and you were very quick to reject the notion. For this assignment, I want you two to get to know each other. Per say, it's a freshmen activity but it has proven in the long-run to be a very effective way of learning to understand a person, maybe perhaps, accept that person. I'm not asking for a 10-page report but I am asking for a truthful, meaningful paper with insight. I'm asking two people to be open-minded with a sense of clarity. You might even make a friend." He added the last comment, hoping it would solidify Haley's 'ok'.

She hoped she wouldn't regret it, seeing as there was a lot at stake. A lifetime friendship with her best friend. Her grade. Her pride. A chance. 

_There's no going back now, James_. Reluctantly, she stuck her hand out to her newest assignment: "Haley James." 


	4. 

Title: **Made Easy**

Author: gigi2

Genre: Naley

Rating: PG-13 for now.

Etc: Sorry it's short but you're lucky that I update hardcore in one day! LOL!

**Chapter 4 :::**

He took her hand into his willing and clamped his grip around hers. "Nathan Scott."

"Yeah, we've established that." Haley quickly removed her hand from his grip and tugged the bottom of her shirt down. She looked up and saw that Mr. Grabaldi was pleased and he didn't hesitate to shove several papers into their hands. _Someone didn't waste any time_, Haley mumbled. 

Nathan scanned over the papers, leering at a questionnaire: _When's your birthday? What's your favorite color? What's your favorite food? _The list went on and on. He was sure that there were more than 200 questions to fill out. Either way, he figured it was a piece of cake. One meeting with Holly, Hillary, _whatever_ her name is, and it would be all over with.

"Well, that's it. Three weeks, my underlings. Remember, I expect quality work from _both_ of you."  Mr. Grabaldi grinned and bid them a good weekend, ushering them out the door.

*********************************************

By 2:45 PM, Tree Hill High had been cleared out. Everyone would be back on campus by 7 in the evening --- basketball was just about the only exciting thing that ever happened in the small town. In the meantime, Haley had to head out to work to help Karen out at the café. On her way there, Haley thought about how she would tell Lucas about her current assignment. Her forehead scrunched, imagining the possible outcomes. But she let her faith in Lucas calm her nerves. Of all people, she knew he wouldn't judge her.

Lately, she found it difficult to comprehend her changing friendship with Lucas. They had been best friends for so long, she almost found it impossible for her to realize that he could _like_ other girls --- _be_ with other girls. Jealous was ugly, oh indeed it was. Last week before a game, she foolishly poured her heart out to Lucas and he took the news with calm composure. 

Of course, he turned her down. Why else would she be thinking about it?

But he let her down gently, as if that were possible and yet it was. Peyton wasn't so bad --- she seemed like the compatible brooding partner for Lucas. It was just going to take time getting used to. For now, Haley was Lucas's best friend but the idea of her being replaced with not only a friend, but a girlfriend, took her off guard. Haley prudishly kicked the leaves on the sidewalk. Maybe she couldn't laugh at it now, but she could laugh at all of it later. At her final destination, she pulled open the door to see a bashful Lucas sharing pie with Karen. 

*********************************************

"So Haley James, huh?" Tim howled in the locker room. "Not my idea of Lean Cuisine but I see a work in progress." Tim maneuvered his way to Nathan's end of the locker.

School was left out of the picture when Nathan got immersed in the game. There was nothing else he thought about except the game. It was about the only thing that didn't set him up for disappointment. But no one else knew that, not even his best friend. "Tim, what the hell are you talking about?"

Laughing, he whipped Nathan over the head with his t-shirt. "I said _Haley James_. That girl in your English class. She's your partner?"

"Yeah, what about it?" Clearly annoyed, he whipped back Tim's shirt. "It's just some stupid project. Baldy wouldn't get off my case on my grades, so he flinged me onto her."

"Can I have her when you're done with her?"

"I'm not that cruel, Tim. No, see…_this girl_, makes me want to stab my eyes out profusely. That alone, is a crime. I have pretty eyes by the way, see?" Nathan batted his eyes and motioned for Tim to throw him another towel. 

"Ouch. At least you'll have some fun and games with this one."

"By all means, this one is no fun. She probably doesn't even know what it is."

"I beg to differ. You're telling me you got set up on a project with a person you don't even know?"

"Pretty much." He really didn't know who she was. The first time he ever made contact with her was when she, well, rather, _he_, ran into her on his way to the gym the other day. The only time he ever got a good look at her was when she was glaring into his eyes. Today, towards the end of English class, only then did he realize that the same feisty girl in the hallway was in his class. And just about an hour ago, he knew for sure she couldn't stand him. Not that it was a problem --- he couldn't stand her, either.

"Well my friend, Haley James is no other than Lucas Scott's lap dog of a best friend." Tim slapped Nathan's back and walked out of the locker room, leaving Nathan by himself to his thoughts.

_Something good just might come out of all of this_, Nathan rubbed his chin.

*********************************************

After managing to survive the busiest hour in the café, Haley threw her apron onto the barstool. She didn't want to waste anymore time withholding this "assignment" and agreed that it was best to tell Lucas as soon as possible. She walked up the stairs and knocked on Lucas's door. Normally, she'd outright open the door but something told her otherwise.

"Come in?" Lucas's response came out sounding more like an exclamation. The door peeked open slowly to a petite figure, which leaned against the doorframe. "Hey, what's with the knocking?"

Once inside, she closed the door behind her. "Sorry, force of habit."

Lucas chuckled softly, "Since when?"

"Today. Umm…is this a good time to talk to you? I mean, I could come back another time." _Liar. _She didn't understand why she was so nervous. Whenever she tutored someone or lent her help, she openly told Lucas everything. "You know what, nevermind, I'll tell you later. I'm sure you've got a lot of things on your mind. School. The game tonight. Peyton. Dan. Peyton. Unfinished work at the garage. Peyton." Haley turned to open the door when Lucas sprung off the bed closed it shut.

"Peyton, _yes_. All of the above you just listed, _yes_. What's going on Hales, you were babbling." Taking her hand, he led her to the edge of his bed.

_His hand_ on _hers_. She looked down at their hands. They had held hands as children all the time and growing up, they occasionally held each other's hands to pull one up or to drag around. But looking down at their hands, she saw how they didn't fit. It was like looking at the hand of a mother holding her child's tiny hand. 

Before she had the chance to sit down, she chose to stand up and placed her right hand over her heart. "Ok, Lucas, I swear I have _never_ hidden anything from you. I tell you everything. I'll always tell you everything. And I know you would do the same for me. So, as your best friend, please allow me to say everything I can without you interrupting, ok?"

"Ok." He leaned back with keen interest and rested on his elbows. "Shoot."

"After school, I went back to Mr. Grabaldi's class because I left my notebook and planner in there. When I got there, Nathan Scott was also there. I meant to leave but somehow, Baldy suckered me into staying. Ok, umm-" _Why is this so hard? Just say it Haley_. "So, I got set up on this project with Nathan. Lucas…"

She would've continued except for the fact that his keen interest had turned into an ill grimace. "It's a recipe for disaster Haley. Even you know it."

"Lucas, let me finish." 

He didn't want to hear any more of it but he did for the sake of her. "Fine, continue."

"He's failing, Lucas. His eligibility to play relies on this next paper. I'm not thrilled about the idea myself but it's strictly for grades. And you know I can't pass up anything that concerns my grades."

A brief silence passed before either one said a word. But he beat her to the punch. "I trust you. But if he tries anything-"

"Which he _won't-_"

"But _if_ he does, can I beat him up until he's black and blue?"

"Until he's purple. I hear blue is just a bit too dramatic." She flashed her best-friend smile and got one back in return.


	5. 

Title: **Made Easy**

Author: gigi2

Genre: Naley

Rating: PG-13 for now. Mild swearing, just so you know.

Etc: I like reviews. They make me happy :)

**::: Chapter 5 :::**

Lucas and Haley squinted at their papers through sun, as they were laid out on their backs on the top of Karen's café building. Haley wasn't so sure that Nathan would get a quick start with the assignment, so she took it upon herself to look at the requirements, with Lucas's help.

"I'm sorry but, why would it matter if you liked peanut brittle with peanut butter _or_ peanut brittle with peanuts?" Lucas asked, puzzled by the irrelevance of the question. "It's like asking me if I'm a human being or a homosapien." He threw the packet down to his side and turned to look at Haley, who was scanning the packet with her index finger. "Baldy has lost his mind." 

"Tell me about it." Sighing, "There's gotta be some "fun" questions somewhere. I feel like a pen pal from a foreign country asking these questions." 

"Fun questions? Let's see." Sitting up, he picked up the packet once more and scanned quickly. "Oh, I've got one, number 173!"

In delight, she sat up, too. "What?"

"Who was your first kiss?"

"Oh."

"What, you don't remember?"

"Of course I do."

"Then who was it?"

"No one."

"Oh, come on, Haley James, _never been kissed_? You're lying!"

He waited for her to crack a smile or a laugh but it never came. She was dead serious. "Seriously? You've never been kissed?"

"_Yes_, Lucas, I've never been kissed _or_ kissed anyone." She hoped that by rolling her eyes and feigning embarrassment, Lucas would've just let the subject drop.

"That's ok. Really, it is." Lucas didn't mean to put her on the spot. But he truly was surprised at the fact that she hadn't been kissed at all. "Any lucky contenders?" 

She slapped him playfully on the arm, "NO! I don't think about who I'm going to kiss. I want it to be unplanned, I want it to be sweet and soft, and you know, special. I don't even care if I'm 50 when I get my first kiss. I just want to know that when I finally am kissed, I'll be glad that I waited for it."

"God, you sound like Joey Potter." The two collapsed in laughter. "But good for you, Haley. Good for you. Ooh, I _know_ you won't answer 174!"

*********************************************

Not amazingly, his parents were gone for the weekend. Mom must've gotten another client to deal with and Dad as usual, was off parading his has-been basketball career. A few of Nathan's friends were over for another gregarious Saturday. It was only 7 o'clock in the evening and he was already bored up to his elbows. Tim, crouched in front of the wet bar cabinets, looked for the goods. "Dude, where the hell is the good stuff?"

Stretched out on the leather recliner, Nathan nodded his head into the direction of the 'good stuff'. "What the hell is there to do in this forsaken town?" No one heard him over the calamity. Figures. Finding things to pass the time away were wearing thin. Only when he heard a bottle smash, did he look up to see Tim, with a plethora of drinks in arms.

"This," eyeing the dewy bottles, "is what you need Nathan." Tim sloppily handed Nathan a few bottles, who just placed them on the end table. "What's wrong with you man? You're acting all depressed."

_Depressed_. He probably was, he didn't need a licensed doctor to diagnose him to realize that. Emotions were building up and he needed to let it out, even if it was a little bit at a time. "I'm bored."

"Well, what do you want to do about it?"

"I don't know. Think of something."

"Got it." Smirking, Tim's eyes reflected a devilish intent. Often, that meant whatever he had planned was sure to warrant fun, acceptable or not.

"What are we waiting for then? Round up the guys." 

*********************************************

"Lucas, what do people our age do on a Saturday night?"

"Drink, crash parties, secretly get into flashy nightclubs, have sex, toilet paper houses, brood. You know, the fun stuff we're never invited to. Aren't you glad?"

"Every day." Smiling she looked around the café to several customers content, chatting away over their orders. Haley wiped down several tabletops, while Lucas rearranged some of the inventory behind the counter. There was a good hour left before they would close the café and after 7:30, business slowed down. Tonight, however was not one of those nights. The entrance of the café's door swung open, letting in the cold outside air in, only to be followed in with none other than Nathan Scott and his groupies. 

_Great_, Haley surmised, _just what I needed_. Lucas bent up from the counter and saw a remorseful face on Haley's.

Nathan's friends walked around him and gawked at the customers in the café'. Typical. Some of those who were previously sat down and enjoying their dinner, took it upon themselves to ask for their checks. Loudly and obnoxiously, the youthful bunch settled into the corner of the café. Nathan hadn't moved away from door yet.

_So this is Karen's café,_ as he peered around the warm environment. He had passed it often but never gone inside, no that he wanted to. It was just a place he wouldn't be caught in by anyone. His father always talked about the café being some kind of runaway joint but clearly, he over-exaggerated. 

"What are you doing here?" asked Haley, who was now standing in front of him. Her hands gripped her hips, with one leg in front of the other.

"Never been here before."

"You should've made it a record."

"Defensive are we? Just so you know, I don't take orders from little girls."

"Well _this_ little girl wasn't planning on it." With that, she turned away from him and walked into the backroom, where Lucas was starting up the grill. "Lucas, don't even bother."

"What do they want?"

"What else? Trouble."

The two teens carefully peeked their eyes over the swinging doors and saw that Nathan and his posse were still there, and their several more of their other customers had left. "Haley?"

"Yeah?"

"Just take their orders, ok? The sooner we serve them, the quicker we can kick them out of here."

She didn't know what to do. Either way, trouble would stir up and the last place they needed it to happen in was in Karen's place of work. "Lucas---" she whimpered, "this is a bad idea."

"You should've thought about that when you took that assignment." He gave her that 'a-ha!' smile and she knew he was right. "It'll be ok. If there's trouble, you know I'll come out running to save you."

Nothing more was said and she braved on a front. Pushing the swinging door open, she walked her way over to the corner of crude. However loud, the teens were huddled together looking over the menus. They knew their 'waitress' was waiting but figured they could make her wait awhile longer. She was ready to walk away when Tim cleared his throat. "Haley James, well geeze, I didn't know you worked here."

She let no words come out. She stood there and looked steely-eyed at all of them, with her notepad in one hand and a pencil in the other. The guys thought it was weird and mumbled some sexist joke she ignored. "_Anyways_, could you please tell us the specials tonight?" She was ready to numbingly tell them when she yelped. Tim had squeezed her rear. "Is this it?" Everyone around the table started laughing except for Nathan, who thought it was a little too much. Sure, he enjoyed getting under people's skin, but not by literally touching them.

She was heated and embarrassed. What was their problem? Haley slapped Tim's hand away from her body. How _dare_ he touch her? "Don't ever touch me you asshole!" The guys let out an '_oooooh!'_ and watched the retreating figure of Haley James walk away. She turned once to look at Nathan, who's facial expression showed no sign of remorse. How could a person just sit there and watch it all happen? It was enough for her to slam the notepad and pencil on the countertop and disappear into the backroom.

"You got the orders that fast?" asked Lucas, amused.

Haley bumped Lucas aside from the grill and said, "Switch."

*********************************************

"Did you see her face? I wonder what she looks like when you grab other places!" Tim practically yelled out for everyone to hear, which finally signaled the remaining customers to leave.

It played out so quickly that Nathan didn't really know what to make of it. When he made anyone upset, he would just laugh it off or give some half-ass apology. When she walked away, she practically threw daggers at his way. "Funny. Is this all we came here for?" Everyone around the table turned to look at him with puzzled faces.

"Of course not," Tim jumped in, "we've just begun." With that signal the guys got up from the booth and picked up whatever they could to throw, break, and thrash. Nathan got up himself but didn't move. He had just swallowed a pill of guilt --- he had toilet papered Whitey's house and the gym millions of times but that was when no one was around. Standing there for a moment, he didn't realize how much damage the guys had caused in little than 5 minutes. Paper napkin dispensers thrown on the floor, tables turned over and misplaced chairs, menus scattered on the ground, snapped utensils, spilled out salt-n-pepper shakers…for the second time that night, he heard a bottle smash. A bottle of ketchup had rolled over the table and onto the ground, charrded into smaller pieces. He looked down and then up to see two pairs of angry and disgusted eyes.

"Get out." Lucas growled. Haley protectively stood behind him and just looked at the disaster around them.

"What are you gonna do about it, huh?" Tim dropped a plate to the ground, breaking on impact. "Come on Pukas, tell me?" Picking up another plate, he threw it to the ground. Lucas wondered how many more plates Tim should drop before he snapped.

"I'm going to say it one last time. Get OUT." Lucas somehow in the course of less than 10 feet made got up in Tim's face.

Nathan decided that he had had enough of his "fun" for the night. Before Tim and the rest of their friends could say anything more, he decided to end it here for now. "Tim, let's get the hell out of here."

"_What_?" Tim spat. 

"You heard what I said. Let's bounce, _now_."

As if it were to set the final scene of a showdown, Tim backed up a few feet and dropped the last plate in his hand. "Oops. I'll be sure to pay you that dollar for 10 plates. _Not!_" If it weren't for Haley's arm linked into Lucas's, he would've charged after Tim. The two watched them leave. 

Lucas gently removed his arm from Haley's and walked around the café to see the damage. It wasn't anything that couldn't be replaced. But it wasn't the point, though. "Fucking idiots."

She felt bad. Yeah, those guys were fucking idiots. But so was she. Maybe if she hadn't entertained their trash, it would've never happened. 

"Public domain, right? Hales, it's not your fault." He knew when she felt bad but this wasn't something she planned on.

"But it is, Lucas. They trashed your mom's shop. I let them come in here."

"It's not your fault, so don't give me an apology." He finally let out a breath he had been holding in too long. "Are you sure you want to do this assignment?"

"Lucas, we've gone over this—"

"I know. But no grades are worth---"

"Putting yourself in a compromising position? Lucas, it'll be over soon ok? I'll deal with this Nathan situation on my own. Don't worry about it." It seemed like their conversation was an argument. She didn't want to start something right now, so she went over to Lucas. "Just go."

"Hales..."

"No," putting the sterness in her voice, "just go Lucas. I'll clean everything up. It's not that…bad?" Haley and Lucas looked at the mess. "On second glance, it's not as bad as your room!"

He laughed. "Ok, but call me when you get home or if you want a ride home" With that said, he walked towards the back entrance and hummed "Lalalalalalala!" in order to not hear what Haley was going to say next.

Only when he was gone, she finally said, "I'm sorry."

*********************************************

"We should do that again next time!" Tim's speech was piss-drunk and probably wouldn't even remember a thing that happened that night.

"Fool, you're wasted."

"That I am!" 

Nathan opened the door for him and Tim got out. He made sure Tim made it to his door before Nathan sped away. Ten-Thirty. He was still bored. Somehow, he hoped driving the back roads would kill some time but time was something that went by slowly in Tree Hill. Passing the streets, he saw familiar houses: Peyton's, Brooke's, Jake's, Whitey's. He knew nothing else was open in town but figured he could just drive in circles all over the place. Suddenly, he passed the familiar building he was in nearly two hours ago. The lights were off but he saw what looked like a person locking the front door. He pulled his Expedition closer to the curb and realized it was Haley.

She didn't know who had pulled up and didn't care to know, either. She figured the person would just drive away. But when she turned around, she saw that that person hadn't left.

Nathan.

His mouth opened, prepared to say something but half-way closed when she started to walk away. For the hell of it, he drove along the street with her. "Hey."

No answer. She kept her hands in her pockets and stared straight ahead. 

"Ok, where are you going?"

_God, go away. You've done enough damage for tonight_. Haley glared back at him but kept quiet.

_This girl is frustrating_. Of course, she had reason to be. His friends just trashed her best friend's mother's café. So, he tried a different approach, which often worked. He whispered soft enough so you could hear what he said but not loud enough to understand. "Are you always like this?"

"Huh?" She heard something, but she couldn't make the words out. Momentarily, she stopped on the sidewalk and looked at him questioningly.

Good, he had gotten her attention. He knew his psychology class would have paid off somehow. "I said, are you always like this?" 

"Whatever." She shook her head and started walking again.

_I couldn't even stop her for 10 seconds. I guess I have to 'me' to get her stand still_. "Fine. When the hell are we starting this paper?"

She stopped again and looked at him, this time menacingly. "You think after that stunt you and your friends pulled, you think I'd want to work with a person like _you_? You've got to be kidding me."

He was taking in her words and couldn't help but feel a little bit sorry. "I need your help on this paper. I'm supposed to get to know you."

"Well make up some answers. You seem to have a real talent for it" She bitterly replied.

"Your grades depend on this, too, you know."

"I'm not the one who's failing."

"Look, if we get this out of our way, we won't ever have to talk to each other ever again."

This time, she took in his offer. Before all of this mess, they never talked to each other. And it could go back to that, as long as she got this project over with. "You're arrogant." 

"Great, I ask you to get this project over with and you call me arrogant."

"No you dumbass, you're arrogant. Number 1 on the questionnaire --- what don't you like about this person?"

_Finally_,_ I'm getting somewhere_. "My place, tomorrow at 6." Nathan calmed his voice down. He noticed her smirk tug on her lips and blinked her eyes as an 'ok'. Haley rolled back on the balls of her heels, eyes on the ground, until he spoke up. "Do you need a ride?"

She looked up at Nathan but said nothing. She tore her eyes away from the enigma and walked into the pathway of a house, opened the door, and closed it behind her as she walked in. He didn't realize he had drove along the street all the way to her house while talking to her at the same time.

"Ok, that was my fun for the evening." Nathan readjusted his rearview mirror and peeled off.


End file.
